1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates, in general, to a device for preventing the inward shifting of a brake pedal during a collision, and more particularly, to a device in which, during a forward vehicle collision, a hinge point of a pedal arm can be disconnected by an impact force to allow the pedal arm to turn in an outward direction, thereby preventing the inward shifting of the brake pedal during the collision, and thus preventing or reducing the risk of a driver from sustaining injuries.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a brake system for a vehicle is a device that is used to make a moving vehicle slow down or stop, or prevents a stationary vehicle from moving.
The brake system includes a brake pedal on which a driver steps when trying to stop a vehicle, a brake booster which uses a vacuum to increase a braking force applied by the driver to the brake pedal when the driver steps on the brake pedal, a master cylinder which acts with the brake booster to apply a higher hydraulic pressure to the brakes, and a brake assembly which brakes the wheels of a vehicle using the hydraulic pressure outputted from the master cylinder.
The brake pedal is located at the center of the driver side floorboard under the dashboard, so that the driver can operate the brake pedal quickly and safely if needed.
As shown in FIG. 1, the brake pedal is configured such that an upper end of a pedal arm 1 is hinge-coupled via a pin 4 to a mounting bracket 3 attached to a dash panel 2, and a brake booster 5 attached to the outside of the dash panel 2 is hinge-coupled to the pedal arm 1 via a rod 6, so that when a driver steps on the pedal arm 1, the brake booster 5 is actuated via the rod 6 to perform a braking operation.
Meanwhile, in the event of a forward vehicle collision, if the impact force is excessive, an engine and thus the dash panel can be forcedly moved toward the driver, together with the brake pedal and the brake booster.
At the time of a forward vehicle collision, normally the driver applies his maximum stepping power to the brake pedal. In this case, the impact force is transmitted wholly to the driver's foot and leg via the brake pedal that is being shifted towards the driver, increasing the risk of injury to the driver.
The above-description of the related art is provided only for understanding the background of the disclosure, and should not be construed as admitted prior art.